House-door letter-box



(No Model.)

E. MARKELL. HOUSE DOOR LETTER BOX.

INVENTOR ATTORNEY.

l WITNESSES:

, UNITED STATES ATENT QFFICE.

EDXVARD MARKELL, OF BALTIMORE, MARYLAND.

HOUSE-DOOR LETTER-BOX.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 461,208, dated October13, 1891.

Application filed April 3, 1891. Serial No. 387,486. I (No model.)

T0 at whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, EDWARD MARKELL, a citizen of the United States,residing at Baltimore city, in the State of Maryland, have inventedcertain new and useful Improvements in Letter-Boxes, of which thefollowing is a specification.

This invention relates to an improvement in letter-boxes, and hasreference particularly to an improved construction for securing the boxin position, and also to an improved guard device for location below thereceiving-slot of the box. Y

The object in view is to render the box more secure from robbery byconcealing the fastenings securing it in place and by guarding thereceiving-slot more effectively than heretofore.

To this end the invention consists in the novel features of constructionand combinations of parts hereinafter described, and pointed out in theclaims.

In the accompanying drawings, illustrating the invention, Figure 1-is afront view of the box as secured on a street-door; Fig. 2, a verticalcross-section through the same; Fig. 3, a front view, with the front ofthe box removed; Fig. 4, a rear view of the box removed from the door.

, it is attached. The box has in its front a receiving-slot a, closed bya flapper b, which is hinged at its upper edge and actuated by a weightb at its back above the hinge. A suitable bead or rim a, is formed onthe outside of the box around the opening a to shed the water. At thetop of the box on each side is a flange or ear 0, extending inward fromthe back edge of the box and having a vertical slot (1 with an enlargedpart d at the bot tom. At its bottom partthe box has a back portion 6,provided with a horizontal slot f at each side. 7

Preliminary to hanging the box two screws (1 are fastened in the door Band project therefrom, and at the proper distance below these screwsanother pair of screws f are fastened in the door, and they alsoproject- In this figure only one series ofguard-fingers is shown belowthe receiving from the latter. These lower screws have elongatedturn-buttons f 2 on their projecting ends behind their heads. In hangingthe box the inward-projecting ears 0 are fitted over the upper screws (1the said screws entering through the lower large parts of the slots. Thebox is then let down, and the ears 0 drop down behind the heads of thescrews, the latter occupying the upper small parts of the slots withtheir heads taking over the ears.

WVheu the box is in this posit-ion, the horizontal slots 7 in the lowerback portion ewill be over the lower screws f, and the b1 ttons f havingpreviously been turned tog a horizontal position, the box is pushedagainst the door 13, and the said buttons enter through the slots f.These buttons are then turned across the slots and over the back portion6, and it will be seen that the box will be securely attached to thedoor. Access is had to the turn-buttons on the lower screws through thelid or doorj in the bottom of the box, which lid is provided for theremoval of mail and has a lock j. By securing the box in place in thisway all the fastenings are concealed within the box, and therefore theycannot be tampered with in attempts to fraudulently remove the box.

One or more guard devices are located in the box below thereceiving-slot a, and each comprises a rod Z, extending across the backof the box, and a series of fingers m, loosely mounted to turn on saidrod and spaced apart. Each of these fingers has a boss it, through whichthe rod Z extends, and an arm 0, projecting downward from the saidboss'on an angle to the finger. This arm'rtbears against the back of thebox, which in this instance is the door B, and holds the finger in adownwardly-inclined position. tirely independent of each other, and theyare kept apart by their bosses n, which extend laterally. These fingers,being thus separate and independent of each other, more securely guardthe contents of the box,because, while one or two of the fingers mightbe held down in attempts to extract the mail, the others would catch andbe raised up and would prevent the removal of the matter, whereas wereall the fingers integral by pressing down on one of them all the otherswould be held down, and while thus held mail might be drawn up pastthem. I prefer to employ two of these guard devices, one located belowthe other, as shown, with the fingers of the lower one'directly belowthe interstices of the upper one. This arrangement renders the box moresecure from theft, because if by some means the fingers of the upperguard were all held down those of the lower one would prevent theremoval of the matter in the box.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire tosecure by Letters Patent, is

1. The combination of a box having inwardly-extending flanges or ears atits upper back portion provided with vertical slots, said box alsohaving a back portion at its lower part provided with horizontal slots,and upper and lower securing-screws, the upper screws for engaging thevertical slots in the flanges or ears of the box, with their headstaking over said flanges or cars, and the lower screws having elongatedturn-buttons, which extend through the horizontal slots in the lowerback portion of the box when the upper screwsare at the upper ends ofthe vertical slots and turn over the said back portion, all in the;

manner and for the purpose substantially as described.

2. In a letter-box having a receiving-slot in one side, a guardcomprising a series of independent fingers pivoted in line at a pointhelow the said slot and close to the side of the box, said fingersinclined downward from said gersmounted to turn thereon and havingprojecting arms which bear against the back of the box and hold them ina downward inclined position, said fingers being independent of eachother.

each other.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

EDWARD MARKELL. YVitnesses:

J NO. T. MADDoX, LOUIS DUNGAN.

